taralpittman's review against another edition
5.0
As an undergrad at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, I took a class that was developed by the chair of the History Department in conjunction with the recent release of a book titled Still Fighting the Civil War: The American South and Southern History by David Goldfield. Our department chair and the author were acquaintances and Dr. Goldfield agreed to come and speak with our class about his adventures while researching and writing this book; since most of the students within this liberal arts institution were from the South, yet somehow under the impression that we were "different," we looked forward to his visit and learning more about the other South...the things that go on that no one likes to talk about.
While reading Bull Mountain, especially the experiences of Clayton Burroughs (the one who got away, so to speak), I was reminded of the way I felt during this class; I remember feeling sad because I realized that the individuals who are bred of a particular culture are not often aware of their options outside of that culture and probably do not have knowledge of any other way of life. At one point in the novel, Clayton is contemplating a return to "the mountain" so that he can speak with a family member and this is a passage that really hit me:
"This place was his home, no matter how unkind it had been to him. Clayton knew he would always be welcome, but the badge had no business here at all. If a thing existed up here, it was because it belonged here. And if it didn't belong, the people who lived here made damn sure it didn't stay. Clayton had struggled with which side of that fence he was on ever since he could remember. The sadness this place brought him was almost equal to the pride it filled him with."
Wow, that is such a powerful statement. Right? I think it completely and perfectly describes the relationship that I've had with my rural, Southern roots at various times of my life and the ongoing relationship that I have with the culture of the South. For those of you who may be bothered by it, there is fair share of violence in this novel; however, author Brian Panowich does an amazing job of creating scenes wherein the violence is poetic and it left me struggling to decide who was suffering more - the victim or the perpetrator.
Definitely in my top five for the year, I highly recommend this novel; I hope some of you will take the time to read it and I can't wait to read more from this wonderfully talented writer.
While reading Bull Mountain, especially the experiences of Clayton Burroughs (the one who got away, so to speak), I was reminded of the way I felt during this class; I remember feeling sad because I realized that the individuals who are bred of a particular culture are not often aware of their options outside of that culture and probably do not have knowledge of any other way of life. At one point in the novel, Clayton is contemplating a return to "the mountain" so that he can speak with a family member and this is a passage that really hit me:
"This place was his home, no matter how unkind it had been to him. Clayton knew he would always be welcome, but the badge had no business here at all. If a thing existed up here, it was because it belonged here. And if it didn't belong, the people who lived here made damn sure it didn't stay. Clayton had struggled with which side of that fence he was on ever since he could remember. The sadness this place brought him was almost equal to the pride it filled him with."
Wow, that is such a powerful statement. Right? I think it completely and perfectly describes the relationship that I've had with my rural, Southern roots at various times of my life and the ongoing relationship that I have with the culture of the South. For those of you who may be bothered by it, there is fair share of violence in this novel; however, author Brian Panowich does an amazing job of creating scenes wherein the violence is poetic and it left me struggling to decide who was suffering more - the victim or the perpetrator.
Definitely in my top five for the year, I highly recommend this novel; I hope some of you will take the time to read it and I can't wait to read more from this wonderfully talented writer.
jaclynday's review against another edition
5.0
Look, I know it’s barely September and we’ve got the fall book season to get through, but I’m calling it now: this will be one of my best books of the year. It’s perfect fiction, intensely evocative and violent and character-rich. The story is unique and surprisingly suspenseful, with these meaty, oh-shit-oh-shit plot twists that kept me on my toes. (I squeaked “NO!” out loud at one point. Luckily I was alone at the time.) The pacing is impeccable too–there is not one sluggish paragraph–and each new revelation came right as I felt the faint tickles of suspicion in the back of my head. I’m gushing now, I know. It’s that good.
joeswam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
crolovr's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic debut novel from Brian Panowich. Bull Mountain is the multi generational story of the Burroughs clan that in the beginning run a moonshine business on Bull Mountain and work their way up to drugs and guns. Each chapter is told by a different member of the family revealing the crimes, rights and wrongs and revenge of the family. A story told with believable characters with a great ending. Looking forward to his next book. Thank you to the reading room for sending me this book for an honest review.
martyfried's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book was pretty dark. Most of the family living on Bull Mountain should feel the wrath of God, but of course, that's not going to happen. Or maybe it did. It was amazing how heartless an cruel some of these people were. It seemed like most of the people in the book didn't care much about life, at least not other people's lives. Somehow, one guy out of the main family turned out good, but of course, he got very little respect.
About the only thing I can think of to say about them that's good is that they live where you won't normally ever see them, and if you leave them alone, they probably won't bother you. Kind of like a nest of wasps.
It was so bad, I immediately started reading the second book of the series!
About the only thing I can think of to say about them that's good is that they live where you won't normally ever see them, and if you leave them alone, they probably won't bother you. Kind of like a nest of wasps.
It was so bad, I immediately started reading the second book of the series!
baldyandhisbooks's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
This book took me by surprise. I went into it thinking it would be an ordinary southern drama/thriller. But it was much more than that. The story, while still keeping me on my toes, interweaved information about Clayton’s family and how powerful they really were. Throughout the book, you can tell Clayton struggles with his love for his family and love for doing the right thing (his career).
The writing, besides one thing which I will talk about, was descriptive and really gave an air of living in a small town. However, the characterizations of the female characters seemed a little . . . weird(?) I couldn’t tell if Panowich wrote the women the way he did was because he simply wanted to keep it generic or because that’s how he sees women. Or perhaps that’s how he thought the men in the story would see the women. Idk.
Overall, a great story with a great ending that I didn’t see coming.
This book took me by surprise. I went into it thinking it would be an ordinary southern drama/thriller. But it was much more than that. The story, while still keeping me on my toes, interweaved information about Clayton’s family and how powerful they really were. Throughout the book, you can tell Clayton struggles with his love for his family and love for doing the right thing (his career).
The writing, besides one thing which I will talk about, was descriptive and really gave an air of living in a small town. However, the characterizations of the female characters seemed a little . . . weird(?) I couldn’t tell if Panowich wrote the women the way he did was because he simply wanted to keep it generic or because that’s how he sees women. Or perhaps that’s how he thought the men in the story would see the women. Idk.
Overall, a great story with a great ending that I didn’t see coming.
ctk0224's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! One of my favorites. Can't wait to read more from Brian Panowich
bethnellvaccaro's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty awesome book, but oh the last two pages...Without that ending, it might have been perfect. I haven't read too many books in this genre and I've never watched Sons of Anarchy or Breaking Bad, but I sure look forward to more from this new author.